Wagon-box and end-gate.



No; 727,920. ,PATBNTED MAY 12, 1903. W. ELLIS. WAGON BOX AND END GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1..

NO MODEL.

llllll IIIIIIIII WZ/z'am flea I No. 727,920. PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

W. ELLIS. WAGON BOX AND END GATE.

APPLIOATIONPILED MAB. 2, 190a.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET -2.

N0 MODEL.

m AW ama,5525f 1,2.-- n z U iT n STATES Patented. May 12, 1903.

PATENT UFFICE.

WILLIAM ELLIS, OF BLOOKTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO NIMAN T.MATTINGLY, OF MONTOUR, IOWA.

WAGON-BOX AND EN D-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,920, dated May 12,1903.

Application filecl March Z, 1903. Serial No. 145,808. (No model.)

To'aJZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ELLIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Blockton, in the county of Taylor and State of Iowa,- haveinvented a certain new and useful Wagon-Box and End-Gate, of which thefol-v lowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanyingv drawings.

This invention relates to wagon-boxes and end-gates therefor, the objectof theinvention being to provide a wagon-box and end-gate so constructedand combined as to provide for quickly inserting and removing theend-gate and securelyfastening the ends ofthe gate to the side-boards ofthe wagon-box, whereby the wagon-box is prevented from spreading underthe expansive influence of the load contained therein. I I

A further object of the invention is to so combine the interlockingcleats and guides of the gate fastening or holding devices as tomaintain a close, snug-fitting, and self-adjusting joint betweenthecleats and guides which will prevent material from finding its Waybetween the .members of. the gate holding or fastening devices and alsoavoid rattling of the end-gate when in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with thewagon-box proper extension-boards and an end-gate therefor adapted to besuperimposed upon the wagonbox proper, the end-gate being detach-ablyfastened to the side-boards in such manner .that said gate will bemaintained in proper position and prevented from sliding or movingdownward when the'lower or main endgate ofthe wagon-box is removed.

With the above and other objects in view.-

showing the manner of opening and attaching the end-gate.

Fig. 4 represents enlarged .spondin g detail perspective views of theslide and cleat orgui'den Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section throughthe members of the end-gate-fastening device, said view being taken inlinewith plemen'tal end-gate, illustrating the wagonbox and its end-gatein dotted lines. Fig. 7

is a detail plan viewillustrating the connection between theextension-boards and endgate. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail perspectiveview of the two-part cleat on one of the extension-boards. Fig. 9 is adetail horizontal section taken in line with the thumb-screw which holdsthe supplemental end-gate in place.

Like reference-numerals designate correparts in all the figures of thedrawings.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 designates the sideboards, and 2 the bottom, ofan ordinary rectangular wagon-box, while 3 represents the end-gate ortail-gate of the wagon-box,which is made in sections of unequal sizejointed together on the line 4, the sections being suitably hingedtogether, as shown at 5. Connected with the shorter or smaller sectionis anextension board or lever,'the projecting end of which is providedwith an opening 7,

adapted to fit over a staple or eye 8 on the other or larger. section ofthe end-gate, the staple or eye 8 being designed to receivealocking-bolt 9, which is movable horizontally and longitudinally throughsuitable guides 10 and provided at one end with an operatingcrank-handle 11 and at its opposite end with a fiat head '12, whichprojects atright angles to the handle 11,"the arrangement being suchthatwhen the handle 11 hangs downward, as

shown inrFig. 1, the 'head 12 cannot be within Fig. 3, thereby breakingthe end-gate and permitting the extremities thereof to be disengagedfrom the sides of the wagon-box.

Fixed upon each end of the gate 3 is what I term a slide, which is bentup out of 'the'interlocking lug and notch. Fig. 6 is a per- .spectiveview of the extension-boards and supsheet metal to comprise theoppositely-arranged parallel portions or flanges 13, which embrace theend of the gate and are bolted, riveted, or otherwise firmly securedthereto. At the extreme edge of the gate the sheetmetal blank from whichthe slide is formed is bent or folded and recurved to form a hookshapedend portion let, which is received behind a similar hook-shaped portionof the cleat, guide, or keeper,hereinafter described. The hookedportions 14 of the slides project rearwardly, or, in other words,towardthe end of the wagon-box, as shown.

Secured to the inner surfaces of the sides 1 of the wagon-box arecleats, guides, or keepers, each of which is bent up from a piece ofsheet metal. The central portion of said blank or piece or sheet metalis folded and also bent over in the shape of a hook, as shown at 15,while the bight or fold forming the extreme edge portion of the hook 15is cut away to form a notch 16 for the reception of a lug or key 17,formed on or projecting from the adjacent slide, as best shown in Figs.4 and 5. The lug or key 17 is arranged under the hook or upon the innerside thereof and about midway between the ends of the slide and isadapted to be received in a notch 16 of the cleat when the gate isclosed, as shown in the drawings and as best illustrated in Fig. 5. Oneedge portion of the cleat is extended laterally to form anattaching-flange 18, while the opposite edge portion, which is ofgreater length, is extended in the opposite direction and bent or curvedto form a spring flange or guard 19, which when the gate is closed bearswith a yielding pressure against the rear side and corner of the gate,coming in direct and close contact with the rear portion of the slide,so as to prevent material from getting between the two parts of thefastening device and at the same time preventing any possibility of theend-gate rattling and working loose. The cleats may be bolted, riveted,or otherwise fastened to the side-boards of the wagon-box in the mannershown.

Extension side-boards 20 are provided at intervals with sets of pendentstanchions or keepers 21, which straddle the side-boards of thewagon-box, as shown in Fig. 6, and hold the extension-boards in place onthe upper edges thereof. In connection with the extension side-boards 20I employ a supplemental or extension end-gate 22, which is provided atits opposite ends with slides 23, each bent up from sheet metal, thecentral or projecting portion of which is bent into substantiallycircular or cylindrical shape to form a light tubular head 24. To eachof the boards 20 is connected a two-part cleat or keeper consisting of abase portion 25, provided with a circular or cylindrical recess 26, inwhich is snugly fitted the hollow cylindrical body or central portion 27of the other member of the cleat, which latter member is bent up out ofsheet metal and provided with oppositelyextending edge portions 28,forming flanges,

which are bolted, riveted, or otherwise secured to the part and also tothe extension side-boards 20. The tubular heads 24 at the opposite endsof the gate 22 are adapted to slide vertically from the top downwardwithin the cylindrical portions 27 of the cleats, and the downwardmovement of the gate 22 is limited by the lower ends of said tubularheads 24 coming in contact with the bottom walls 29 of the cleats, thesaid lower ends of the cleats being closed, as shown in Fig. 8. By thismeans the supplemental or extension end-gate is upheld independently ofthe lower or main end-gate of the wagon-box proper. In order to lock theextension end-gate 22 in place, screws 30 are inserted through theextension-boards 20 and cleats into openings provided therefor in thetubular heads 24, as shown in Fig. 1.

The improvement hereinabove described obviates the necessity ofemploying stay bolts or rods to prevent the spreading of the sides ofthe wagon-box. The gate serves to brace the sides of the wagon-box andprevent the same from spreading, and the particular means foraccomplishing this end does not interfere with the ready and quickremoval of the end-gate whenever necessary. In addition to this closejoints are effected between the end-gate and the sides of the wagon-box,and the end-gate is held in such manner as to prevent the same fromrattling and working loose.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a wagon-box, and an end-gate therefor, ofhook-shaped slides fixed on the ends of the gate and slide-receivingcleats on the wagon-box, each cleat being bent up out of sheet metal andcomprising a hook or bight portion behind which the hooked portion ofthe slide is received, one edge of the cleat forming an attaching-flangeand the other edge being extended away from the wagon-box to embrace theslide and form a spring flange or guard therefor.

2. The combination with a wagon-box, and an end-gate therefor, ofhook-shaped slides fixed on the ends of the gate and each provided witha lug or key located behind the hook or upon the inner side thereof, andslide-receivin g cleats on the wagon-box, each cleat being bent up outof sheet metal and comprising a hook or bight portion behind which thehook portion of the slide is received, one edge of the cleat forming anattachingflange and the other edge being extended away from thewagon-box to embrace the slide and form a spring flange or guardtherefor, the cleat being notched to receive the log or key on theslide. I

3. The combination with a wagon-box, and an end-gate therefor, ofhook-shaped slides fixed on the ends of the gate and each provided uponthe inner side of the hook with a lug or key, and s1ide-receiving cleatson the IIO wagon-box each cleat being bent up out of sheet metal andcomprising a hookor bight portion behind which the hook portion of theslide is-received, one edge of the cleat forming an attaching-flange andthe other edge being extended away from the wagon-box to embrace theslide and form a spring flange or guard therefor, the bight of the cleatbeing cut away to form a notch for the reception of the lug or key onthe slide.

4. The combination with a wagon-box, and a removable end-gate, ofextension-boards, a supplemental or extension end-gate, slides on theends of said gate provided with cylindrical heads, cleats on theextension side-boards each comprising a recessed'base and a sheet-,metal, member having a hollow cylindrical

